Running
by observer20-20
Summary: The NID is after Jack again. This time it gets personal.
1. Running

Chapter 1  
  
"Here are the mission reports, sir."  
  
"Thanks Carter. Hey listen, Danny and I are taking Teal'c to see the Grand Canyon this weekend. Wanna come?"  
  
"Um, well I kind of have plans sir." With Pete, but she didn't want to say that, not to *him.* Despite the fact that she was seeing Pete, she new he was just a substitute for what she really wanted. "Maybe next time. Have fun."  
  
"Yea sure you betcha." His phone rang just then, "O'Neill... Sarah? Hi! Um..." He looked over at Sam for a moment, but his attention was drawn back the phone when the caller said something, "What? Are you okay?" There was a pause, and Sam watched the growing fear in the Colonels voice. "They said what!? Damn, okay, listen, does that big guy Joe still live next door? Good, I want you to go over there and stay there until I come get you. Don't go anywhere with anyone else. I'll be there in an hour." His eyes looked up at Sam's once more. "Bye."  
  
"Sir?"  
  
The Colonel was already headed for the door. "Some goons met Sarah on her back porch. They roughed her up a bit, slapped her around." The anger was growing in his voice, "One of them told her to 'give Jack O'Neill a special hello from the NID."  
  
Sam gasped. It was obvious the NID had figured that the Colonel would still care about his ex-wife. They had wanted to pressure him into retiring for years now. This ploy might just succeed. She followed him into the Generals office.  
  
"General, Sarah just got roughed up by some NID goons. I have to head over there. Now."  
  
The General's eyes widened in shock, "Yes, of course. Go."  
  
Sam spoke up "I'll go with you, sir. Daniel and Teal'c are off with *his* Sara."  
  
"Good luck to both of you." The General ushered them out the door.  
  
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Sam had thought she went fast on her motorcycle. The Colonel drove over 90mph the whole way. He was by no means out of control, however. Just another one of his hidden talents.  
  
They arrived at the house Sam recognized from pictures she had seen of the Colonel and Charlie. O'Neill walked up to the neighbor's house and knocked.  
  
A burly man opened the door a crack "Jack? Come in!" The man opened the door wide and allowed the two air force officers to enter his house. Sarah was sitting on the couch, looking for all the world like someone who had just gotten out of bed. A slight purple shine to the left of her eye was the only evidence of her encounter. The relief in her eyes was palpable when she saw Jack, who immediately moved to cradle her in his arms. They sat there for a moment before Jack spoke. "How are you?"  
  
"Ok, now." She looked at her former husband "Who were they? Who is the NID?"  
  
He thought for a moment before facing the other two in the room. "Joe, can we use your phone?"  
  
"Sure, Jack."  
  
"Thanks. Carter, call Hammond, tell him we're bringing Sarah back to the base."  
  
"Yes sir."  
  
"Sarah, lets get back to the house. Carter, I want you to provide overwatch from here after you call Hammond. Those goons might still be here. I've got my radio."  
  
"Yes sir."  
  
O'Neill led his ex-wife to her house. After checking to make sure nobody was there, he spoke to Sarah, "Listen, Sarah, those guys who picked on you work for an agency called the NID. It's kinda like the CIA, and they don't like me too much. I think it'd be best if you stayed on the base where I work for a few days, until we can figure out what we're going to do."  
  
"But..."  
  
The radio crackled, "Sir, your position has been compromised, a car just pulled up outside. Two men just stepped out."  
  
"Copy." O'Neill looked out the window, and then met the two men at the door. "Can I help you?"  
  
"Colonel O'Neill, if you'll please come with us."  
  
"Uh, no thanks."  
  
The man reached behind his back "Sir, you're coming, even if we have to *make* you come." He pulled a pistol out from behind him. The colonel reacted by drawing his own gun.  
  
Sarah would forever remember the next events. Both guns went off at the same time. The NID man was thrown against the walkway, stuck in the chest by the Colonels shot. Jack flinched as the bullet missed him by mere inches and embedded itself in the living room wall.  
  
Leveling his gun at the second man, Jacks voice was hard. "Get out."  
  
The man wasn't arguing. Jack turned to his ex-wife and said "Pack enough for a week."  
  
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"Colonel, she can't stay here forever." General Hammond looked at his subordinate. Sarah O'Neill had been staying in the VIP room for three days. After what had happened, Hammond couldn't refuse when O'Neill asked permission to tell his ex-wife WHY the NID didn't like him. As a result, Sarah O'Neill now knew that humans were not alone in the universe, and also knew that her former husband had quite literally saved the world more than once. It had been a lot to take in, but she was handling it as well as could be expected.  
  
The attack on Sarah had obviously been intended to rattle the Colonel. They still didn't understand why the NID man had actually pulled a gun, however.  
  
"Yes sir, I know, but what are we going to do to protect her? If the NID tried this once, they will try it again."  
  
"Yes, Jack, I know." The Generals phone rang.  
  
"Hammond."  
  
"Sir, this is the guardhouse. The NID is here, they say they have a warrant for Colonel O'Neill's arrest."  
  
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Jack knocked on the door to Sara's quarters and entered. She was sitting on her bed, reading a book.  
  
"Jack! What's wrong?" Instantly happy to see him, she sobered when she saw his face.  
  
"I have to leave, Sarah. Apparently that guy I killed at your house was the son of some senator. The NID is here to arrest me."  
  
"What are you going to do?"  
  
"I'm leaving."  
  
"To where?"  
  
"Oh, you know, out there, second star to the right and straight on 'til morning type thing."  
  
"You're leaving earth?"  
  
"Yeah, for a while anyway."  
  
"What about me? Do I go home?"  
  
His face got sadder, if that were possible. "If you stay on earth, the NID is liable to try to get to me through you again. Even the Witness Protection Program couldn't hide you from them."  
  
"Soooo...what?"  
  
"You leave too."  
  
"Through the... Stargate?"  
  
"Yeah." She looked terrified. "Look, it's perfectly safe, I've done it thousands of times."  
  
"No, it's not that, but where would I go?"  
  
"Wherever we decide to go."  
  
Something changed in her eyes "I could go with you?" Her voice had changed from sadness a moment earlier to something like tentative hope.  
  
Smirking, he said "Sure. I can't wait 'till you meet Thor. But listen, we have to go, now. The NID guys are on their way down. Hammonds stalling them, so we can 'escape'. Let's go."  
  
XXXXXXXX  
  
They arrived in the Gateroom. To Jacks surprise, they found the gate already open, and the rest of SG-1 attired like the Colonel, in mission attire.  
  
"Uh, guys, what are you doing?"  
  
"We intend to come with you, O'Neill." Teal'c spoke.  
  
"Teal'c, I'd be glad to have you with me, but you two," he said, turning to the two humans, "you still have a life here on Earth."  
  
"Jack, I can come back for Sara later."  
  
"And I can come back for Cassie."  
  
Jack looked specifically at Sam. His voice was soft, "What about Pete?"  
  
"I don't want *Pete*!" She gasped when she realized what she had said, in front of the Colonel's ex-wife, no less. There was an awkward pause, before the NID men entered the Gateroom and the decision was made. They took off up the ramp and disappeared through the Gate.  
  
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	2. Rescue

Thanks to those of you who reviewed, and a special thanks to neenee1, I'm new to this site and didn't realize that I had it set to only accept signed reviews.  
  
If you didn't realize it last chapter:  
  
Sarah = Sarah O'Neill  
  
Sara = Sara Gardner  
  
It was the best I could come up to tell the difference. Let me know if it's still too confusing, and I'm open to suggestions.  
  
Finally, I know a lot of you were intrigued by the Sam/Sarah possibilities. Don't worry, I will continue to write about that, but I also want this to be an Action-Romance story, not a Sappy Romance story, so there will be other things involved. Hope you like.  
  
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Chapter 2- Rescue  
  
Given SG-1's, and especially Teal'c's, reputation, it was not hard to find a rebel Jaffa on Chulak willing to lend a scout ship temporarily. Within 24 hours of their departure from Earth, they were on their way back. The trip would take considerably longer this time, however. That being the case, Teal'c took the controls to allow the humans to get some rest. They hadn't slept since leaving Earth.  
  
Sam and Sarah got the two couches/sleeping pads, so Daniel and Jack were relegated to the floor. They were used to sleeping on hard ground, so it wasn't a big deal, but Jack found that he couldn't sleep, anyway. Rising, he joint Teal'c.  
  
"Are you unable to sleep O'Neill?"  
  
"Nope."  
  
"It will still be four hours before we reach Earth. Sleeping would be wise."  
  
"Yeah, T, it would." At that moment, a scream came from the room behind them. Teal'c began to move, but Jack raised his hand to stop him. "I got it. It's Sarah."  
  
Hurrying into the room, Jack quickly determined that there was no immediate danger. Sara had obviously just woken up from an unpleasant dream. He moved over to his ex-wife and wrapped her in his arms. "Hey, shhh, it's okay, it's okay."  
  
It was a long few moments before she spoke. "I keep seeing the men at the house. The one that almost shot you, I..." She shuddered.  
  
He hugged her tighter. "It's okay, it's over now. It was just a bad dream."  
  
"I know." There was a pause, and then she let out a soft laugh.  
  
"What?"  
  
She smiled as if at a private joke, "Normally, it's me holding *you* after one of *your* nightmares."  
  
He laughed. He did see the irony in their situation. It wasn't long before she fell asleep again.  
  
From across the room, Sam watched the Colonel as he watched Sarah. She had been on the verge of falling asleep when Sarah's cries had woken her. Now she feared she wouldn't be able to fall back asleep. After the Prometheus incident, she hadn't been sure if the Colonel was really the one she wanted, or if her attraction to him was a result of working with him for close to seven years. Now, after Pete, she knew. Pete was nice, but he wasn't the one she wanted. No sirree, that particular person was currently falling asleep with his arms around his ex-wife. *After me going out with Pete, I wonder if he even sees me that way anymore.* If it came down to choosing between herself and Sarah, who had been his wife for over ten years, she was sure the Colonel would choose his ex-wife. *What if I've lost him?* It took a while, but she did eventually fall back asleep. She had been more tired than she realized.  
  
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Jack woke about an hour before they arrived on Earth. He took the controls so Teal'c would have time to Kelnoreem. The others soon joined him.  
  
"What's the plan, Jack?"  
  
"Well, first we have to locate Cassie and Sara."  
  
"Cassie has been staying at my house since Janet died, but she still goes to the same school."  
  
"Sara went back to catch up with her family in England. Actually, she's probably landing in the next few minutes."  
  
"Okay. We get Cassie first. She's still in the States, so the NID can probably get to her faster." Adjusting his descent, he headed for Colorado. Sarah was obviously awed by the view of Earth from miles above.  
  
"There it is, that's Cassie's school." Sam pointed at the grey dot below.  
  
"Okay, the ship is cloaked, but the rings won't be. We'll ring down in those woods by the baseball field. Carter, Danny and I will go. Sidearms only, let's not get in a shootout. Shootouts in a school are not fun. Teal'c, you be ready to pick us up when we call. Keep the ship cloaked."  
  
"Agreed, O'Neill."  
  
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The three humans walked out of the line of trees and crossed the baseball field, walking around the students having gym class. The gym teacher recognized Sam, and smiled. She nodded and smiled back.  
  
"Cassies school had metal detectors, sir."  
  
"Not a problem, Carter. All schools have students who smoke. They leave backdoors open. Those never have detectors."  
  
"You sound like you've done this before, Jack."  
  
Jack glanced over. "Mostly in training, Danny. Only once for real."  
  
"Training!?"  
  
"Yeah, Special Forces like to train for worst-case scenarios. A hostage situation in a school is pretty close to worst case."  
  
"If that *close*, what's the *absolute* worst case?" Daniel was clearly agitated, but why, nobody knew.  
  
Jacks eyes darkened. "Absolute worst case is a large airplane full of kids and terrorists with bombs."  
  
Something in his eyes told Sam he was speaking from experience.  
  
They located an open backdoor, and just walked in.  
  
Daniel felt distinctively uncomfortable carrying a gun in school, even if it was concealed. For her part, Sam felt the same way, especially when the schools police officer walked by.  
  
Neither understood how the Colonel could remain calm. He even said hello to the officer! Sam shook her head. It was these small, almost unnoticeable skills of his that occasionally showed themselves that made Sam love him the way she did.  
  
They arrived at Cassie's classroom. The Colonel motioned for Sam. She took a deep breath and knocked, opening the door slightly to poke her head in.   
  
Cassie was obviously surprised to see her. "Excuse me, could I please see Cassie for a moment?" The teacher was aware that Cassie had just lost her mother, and also knew Sam, so she allowed Cassie out of the room.  
  
Cassie was surprised again to see the two men with her. "Hey guys! What's going on?"  
  
O'Neill spoke. "We're leaving. Let's go." It was his command voice, and she didn't dare refuse. They left the same way they came. Once they were out of earshot of the gym class, Sam explained what was going on. Cassie didn't have any problems with leaving. As long as she was with SG-1, she had everyone she needed.  
  
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Back on the ship, Cassie met Sarah. She looked from Sarah, to Jack, to Sam, then back to Sarah.  
  
"Nice to meet you, Cassie."  
  
"Hi, um, Aunt Sarah."  
  
"*Aunt* Sarah?"  
  
Jack chuckled. "Yeah, well, you see, I'm her 'Uncle Jack', so..."  
  
Sarah smiled. "Oh, I see." Cassie didn't miss the glance between them. She looked at Sam, who hadn't missed it either, and was now trying to look away without being conspicuous.  
  
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Five minutes later they were soaring above the airport in England where Sara Gardner had landed only minutes earlier. What they didn't know was that both Cassie and Sara Gardner were under surveillance by the NID. When they heard that Cassie had disappeared, Sara's shadowers had moved in. They were arriving at almost the same time.  
  
Again, Jack, Daniel and Sam ringed down in a concealed location. They met Sara as she exited the secure area. Daniel walked up to her.  
  
"Daniel?" She had not been expecting him.  
  
"Hey Sara."  
  
"What are you doing here? What's wrong?" She was instantly worried. She knew about what Daniel did, knew about the Goa'uld, had *been* a Goa'uld for a while herself, and knew that if he was here, something was amiss.  
  
"Sara, I don't have time to explain here, plus," gesturing to the crowd, "this really isn't the place for it, but we need you to come with us."  
  
"We?"  
  
"Yeah, I'm here with Jack and Sam. But we really do have to hurry." They moved over and met up with the others.  
  
"Okay kids, let's go." They moved off. Jack was the first to notice three men following them. Outwardly, he remained calm. Inwardly, his senses went on high alert. Somehow, though she never knew how, Sam felt him tense. They all quickened their pace.  
  
*Damn.* Jack was not happy with the situation. Normally, if you are being followed, you stay in a public place. Stalkers are less likely to do anything there. However, because they were going to use the rings to get back aboard the ship, they needed to be in a *private* place. Doh!  
  
As they passed behind a warehouse wall Jack drew his gun. Sam followed suit. Daniel grabbed Sara's arm. The three NID men drew their guns as well. Out in the open, it became a contest of who was a better shot.  
  
With a split second head start, Jack dropped to a crouch, taking out the first man with a shot to the head before he could fire. The first shot from Goon 2 passed harmlessly over his head.  
  
Sam didn't get off so easily. She and Goon number three fired at exactly the same time. Like the Colonel, she had aimed for the head. She hit what she aimed for. Unfortunately, so did the goon. Or he would have, if her gun wasn't in the way. The bullet, aimed for her head, struck the right side of her pistol, knocking it cleanly out of her hand and glancing off to the right. It made a slice up her forearm before embedding itself in her shoulder.  
  
Jack shot the last NID man in the neck as he tried to get back behind the warehouse. Sam didn't even fall over from her wound. She was still too high on adrenaline to recognize the pain. Just then the rings arrived. They vanished without a trace. It happened so fast, Sams blood hadn't even hit the ground.  
  
The base security arrived to find three freshly dead men sprawled on the ground. There had obviously been a gunfight, but where were the Other Guys? The answer would never be found. 


	3. Flight to Safety

Thanks for the reviews. GateSeeker2, not this chapter, but later, I think.  
  
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Chapter 3- Flight to safety  
  
"Sam!" Cassie cried out when she saw Sam's arm. Her whole arm was covered in blood, and more was dripping.  
  
Sam just stared at her bloody arm. Jack grabbed her good arm and moved her to the couch. "Sit down." He pulled out his knife and cut off her shirt around the shoulder, keeping most of her privacy intact but still exposing the wound.  
  
"You were lucky, Carter." He went to work cleaning and bandaging. She put her head back and closed her eyes, grimacing as the pain began to register.  
  
No one spoke as he worked. Cassie, Sara, Sarah, and Daniel all just watched. Teal'c guided the Scout Ship out of Earth's atmosphere.   
  
Sarah was struck by the intimacy she saw. Neither Jack nor Sam seemed fazed by what for most people would be a rather compromising position. This was obviously not a first time for either of them. After about five minutes, he was done.  
  
"How's that?"  
  
"Fine, sir. Thanks." She struggled to get up, but fell right in Jacks lap.  
  
"Easy, Carter. Just stay still for a little while. How are you feeling?"  
  
"A little tired."  
  
Daniel said, "No surprise there, she's lost a lot of blood."  
  
"Yeah. Sarah, you think you can keep an eye on her? Danny, why don't you explain what's going on to our guests. I need to talk to Teal'c." He extricated himself from Sam.  
  
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"What is our course of action O'Neill?" Teal'c said after Jack had closed the door behind him.   
  
"Well, we return the Scout Ship, for starters. Then we have to find a place where our non-combatant companions," motioning to the door, "can stay in safety. After that, I have no idea."  
  
"Do you believe we will be able to return to Earth?"  
  
"I wish I could say yes, Teal'c, but with the NID playing dirty now, and Kinsey on the Vice Presidential ticket, I doubt we'll have any say in the Stargate program for very long."  
  
"Indeed."  
  
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Sam opened her eyes to see Sarah staring back at her. "Hi."  
  
"Hi."  
  
Daniel had moved his Sara and Cassie to the other side of the room so that they could talk without disturbing Sam.  
  
"What happened?"  
  
"I got shot." Sam wasn't really in the mood to talk about it.  
  
*So like Jack* Sarah thought, *He never spoke about anything either.* Sarah wasn't sure if this was the time to discuss it or not, but she knew that she and Sam were going to need a woman to woman talk soon. She tried and easy question. "How long have you worked with Jack?"  
  
"Almost seven years." Sam moved from her lying position to sit upright, legs curled up, facing Sarah. "You still love him, don't you?"  
  
Sensing that Sam felt the need to talk as well, Sarah answered. "Yeah. I guess I do. We split because of Charlie, true, but it was also because he couldn't tell me anything about what he did. He would leave at anytime, come back at anytime, and I had no idea where he was going or what he was doing. I knew he was in the Special Forces, and that just made the waiting worse. I never knew if he'd come back. But, yeah, after all this time, I do wish we could get back together." Their eyes connected. "Will I be getting in the way of something?"  
  
Sam sighed. "Not really. I mean, in a way. We've never really had a personal relationship, because of Air Force regulations. He was, and still is, my Commanding Officer. Maybe if he wasn't... I tried to move on, just recently, with another guy. It didn't work." Sam's eyes took on a faraway look. "I still care about him. A lot."  
  
There was an awkward pause, "So..."  
  
Sam shook her head. "I don't know. I'm not sure if he even feels that way for me anymore. We both kind of hid it from each other. I'm not sure why." She yawned. "Oh, sorry. I'm still tired."  
  
Sarah smiled. "That's okay. You should probably sleep." She didn't think they had resolved anything, but she felt better with it out in the open.  
  
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Jack and Teal'c entered the back room, having set the ship on auto pilot. "Ok kids, huddle up." For once, he realized, the guys were outnumbered. Sarah woke Sam, and helped her sit up. "We're headed back to Chulak for now. After that, we'll take the Stargate to the Land of Light. It's peaceful there, so we can stay there as long as we need to before we move again."  
  
"Move to where, sir?"  
  
"Hopefully, Earth, but that's doubtful. What we will need is a place that's safe, out of the Goa'ulds way, but where we can still keep an eye on things. Sara," both women looked up, but he was talking to Sara Gardner, "can you still use one of these?" He held up a Tok'ra healing device that he had found in the control room.  
  
"Oh, why yes, I believe I can." She immediately took it from him and moved over to Sam. Conversation stopped while the device hummed. Sam visibly relaxed.  
  
"Thank you so much."  
  
"Ok, we're gonna have to get one of those for ourselves once we return this one to its owner along with the ship. Sara, you just became our doctor." Addressing the crowd once more, he said, "We will be OK, people, but we're going to have to stick together."  
  
The few hours of sleep before they arrived on Earth hadn't helped SG-1 much, and the others were exhausted as well. The sleeping arrangement was a little complicated, because there were seven people on a ship designed for four. It only worked because they were already a pretty intimate group, and nobody had any qualms about Co-ed bunking or sleeping on the floor. The only one who felt slightly uncomfortable was Sara, but that problem was solved when she fell asleep holding and being held by Daniel. Sam and Cassie got the two beds. Sarah once again fell asleep next to Jack. Jack fell asleep for the first time in a very long day, a day that, for him, had begun way back at the SGC, more than 36 hours ago. Teal'c Kelnoreemed in the control room.  
  
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He woke when he heard an agonized gasp. Looking up, he realized that Sam had fallen off her couch, landing on her bad arm, which hadn't been fully healed by the hand device. She was moving slowly to get back to her feet. He got up and helped her. "Now Carter, are we going to have to put a barrier on your bed so you don't fall out?"  
  
She giggled at his joke and sat down on the couch/bed. "No sir, I don't think so."  
  
He smiled.  
  
She smiled.  
  
Then both looked away.  
  
"Um... you should probably sleep again."  
  
"Yeah." She agreed, but neither of them moved. She didn't want him to leave, so she gingerly rested her head on his shoulder. He put his head back against the wall and closed his eyes.  
  
Several hours later, Sarah woke to find them in that position.  
  
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"O'Neill, we have arrived." Teal'c woke Jack from his slumber, never an easy or particularly safe thing to do.  
  
"Oh f' cryin' out loud. Already?"  
  
"It has been nearly four hours, O'Neill."  
  
"Yeah, Yeah, okay. Sam, wake up. Come on, I need my shoulder back." She slowly stirred, as did the rest of the ships occupants.  
  
They landed, returned the ship to it's owner, and headed for the Stargate.  
  
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What they found there did not please. Four armed Jaffa surrounded the Gate, and Jack was quick to notice several more hiding in the shadows of the nearby buildings.  
  
"You shall not pass."  
  
"Oh, but why not?" Jacks voice was one of a whining child being told he couldn't have desert before dinner.  
  
The Jaffa did not blink. "Our master will soon arrive, and we intend for you to come with us." The Jaffa in the shadows came up, essentially surrounding them. Eight in total, counting the four at the Gate.  
  
"Hmm, let me do the math. Eight of you minus the four of us with guns, ummm... I think you have us at a disadvantage, so why don't you give the rest of these people here some weapons, and then we can fight it out. What do you say?"  
  
The Jaffa were not in the mood for jokes. The nearest reached for Cassie when suddenly staff blasts flew in from somewhere, hitting two of the Jaffa in the first barrage.  
  
Thinking fast, Jack tackled both Sara and Sarah with his left arm and body, while simultaneously drilling the nearest Jaffa through the head with his P-90.  
  
Teal'c also blasted one of the Jaffa with his staff weapon. Daniel grabbed Cassie and pulled her to the ground beside Sam, who was raising her gun to fire. She found no targets, as the rest of the Jaffa had been hit by whoever it was that had come to their rescue.  
  
Looking around, Jack saw a familiar shape. Teal'c saw it also, and moved over to greet, "Master Bra'tac. It is good to see you."  
  
"Al ways, Teal'c. Colonel." Bra'tac nodded at Jack.  
  
"Hey Bra'tac, not that I'm complaining or anything, but where did you come from?"  
  
"We have had many problems in recent months with Jaffa informants, who sell information to the Goa'uld. It is not surprising that they would be interested in your arrival, and so I took several warriors with me to ensure your safe departure." They noticed several Jaffa standing in the shadows where Bra'tac had come from."  
  
"Well, thanks." Jack extended his arm.  
  
"Anytime, my friend. But you must hurry and go now. Their ruler," gesturing to the bodies on the ground, "could arrive at any time."  
  
When he heard that, Daniel moved to dial the Gate. As it wooshed open, Bra'tac took Jack aside. "O'Neill, be warned. Word came to the Jaffa at the Alpha site just yesterday to be on the lookout for you and your team. A reward was offered. I will never betray any of you, but many Jaffa might. I would also be wary of any Tok'ra you meet."  
  
Looking deep into his eyes, Jack said, "Thank you, Master Bra'tac. Do me a favor?" Bra'tac nodded. "I'll send Teal'c back here this time next week. Can you meet him here to give him any important news?"  
  
"Of course."  
  
"Thanks, man." He turned and followed the others up the steps to the gate.  
  
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More Sam/Sara/Jack next chapter, I promise! 


	4. Safety

Chapter 4- Safety  
  
"Of course, you are always welcome in the Land of Light. Accommodations will be prepared for you."  
  
"Thank you, Tuplo." Daniel bowed, serving in his role as the teams diplomat.  
  
"In the meantime, would you care to join us for evening meal?"  
  
"We'd be honored."  
  
They moved into the Dining Hall, with it's low table and cushions arrayed around it for everyone to sit. Sam moved to sit to Jacks right, as she usually did on offworld missions, but found that Sarah had already occupied the seat. She ended up sitting next to Cassie, who was on Jacks left. Teal'c, Daniel and Sara Gardner sat across from them. Tuplo and his family arranged themselves further down the table. Most of the group ate in silence, save Sarah, who was enthralled to meet a race from an alien planet, and Danny, who was *always* talkative.  
  
"So this disease made half of the people, the 'touched,' go crazy?"  
  
"Yes, that is so. Thanks to our friends here, however, we were able to overcome the curse."  
  
"So, how did you guys get involved?"  
  
Daniel had had a little to much of the local drink, and so he answered animatedly. "Well, first a couple of members of another SGC team got it, and started acting like animals. After a little while, Sam, and then Jack got it, too. Teal'c and I turned out to be immune, so we set about figuring out why, and came up with a cure."  
  
"How did you two get it?"  
  
Daniel answered before anyone else could. "Well, Sam got it when she tried to help the others who had it, and then Jack got it from her when she went crazy."  
  
"How?"  
  
Daniel didn't notice the glares from both Jack and Sam that sad *No!* "She tried to seduce him, rather forcefully, actually."  
  
"Seduce?" Something caught in Sarah's throat.  
  
"Yeah, I um... jumped him in the locker room." There really was no pleasant way to say it. Sam blushed with embarrassment. Sarah, on the other hand went pale.  
  
An awkward silence ensued. Nobody looked anyone else in the eye for several seconds.  
  
Jack finally broke the silence. "Danny, you've had enough of that stuff, you should get to bed. I wouldn't want to be you in the morning." Rising, Jack led him to the room that had been prepared for the men.  
  
The ladies headed off for their own room.  
  
The males settled down for the first long, comfortable night sleep in way too long. The females, on the other hand, talked for several hours before finally going to sleep. Sarah pressed Sam for more details about her relationship with Jack. Sam found herself relating the time they had been trapped in Antarctica, the whole business with the mind stamps, and even the Za'tarc incident, something she had *never* expected to speak of.  
  
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX  
  
Jack woke early, well rested. Rising, he walked outside the palace to savor the quiet dawn.  
  
Sam also woke at about the same time, and had the same idea as Jack. She found him sitting on the low stone wall with his back to a pillar. She approached quietly and sat a few feet away.  
  
Often on offworld missions, the two of them would rise before dawn and watch the sun come up. They never said they watched it come up *together*, because that somehow sounded wrong. Sam secretly treasured the times they spent together early in the morning, sometimes speaking, sometimes not saying a word, but just being there with each other.  
  
"Morning, Carter."  
  
"Morning, sir."  
  
"Sleep well last night?"  
  
"Yes, we all did. You?"  
  
"Best sleep I've had in a while."  
  
A comfortable silence passed for a few minutes as the planets sun came up. It was more white and a little less harsh to the eye as Earth's. It fit perfectly with the feeling of peace that pervaded the atmosphere on this planet.  
  
It was Sam who broke the silence. "Sarah seems pretty happy, given that she just left her whole planet behind." It was the closest she could come to broaching the subject that had been on her mind since her conversation with Sarah the day before.  
  
"Yeah." Jack winced. He had known that this was going to come up eventually. He could ignore it when there was action, like rescuing Cassie and Sara Gardner, but now that they were relatively safe... The problem was that he just didn't know. He loved Sarah, always had, always would. On the other hand, he'd be lying to himself if he said that he didn't still care about Sam. A lot. Of course, he had no idea how she felt about him. He knew she still cared, but after Pete, he wasn't sure if she cared in the same way.   
  
There was one way to find out. He looked straight at her, and their eyes met. The silent communication thing still worked, so that was a good sign. It had gone away briefly when she wet out with Pete.  
  
Crap. She *did* still care, of that he was sure. It was a distinctively great and at the same time scary thing. What do I do? With Sarah here, and Sam here, things were gonna get sticky.  
  
Before he could come to a conclusion, however, Daniel stumbled out of the doorway into the courtyard nearby.  
  
Jack laughed, glad that a distraction had appeared to save him from this awkwardness. "I warned you, Danny."  
  
"Two. I only had two drinks last night. You're not supposed to feel this bad after two, are you?"  
  
"You are if you can barely handle one back on Earth." Jack was always ribbing Daniel on his inability to handle alcohol.  
  
Gradually, the rest of SG-1 and their band of followers woke up and came outside as well. The Sara(h)'s were talking about something or other, both none the worse from the few sips of drink they had had the night before. Cassie, though she was to young to drink, was as grumpy as any teenager who had just woken up. Teal'c, as always, was fresh as a daisy.  
  
XXXXXXXXXXXXXX  
  
For most of them, the next few days were spent relaxing, eating, sleeping, and healing. Cassie made good friends with a couple of the young boys her age, something that SG-1 noted with some amusement. Sam spent the afternoons swimming, trying to get rid of the last bits of weakness in her arm that had come from getting shot back on Earth.  
  
Jack sat on the beach and watched her for the first two days, so that he could keep an eye on her in case her arm gave out. Once it was clear that she was fine, he went with Teal'c for a little exploration of the surrounding area.  
  
Daniel and Sara spent most of the time together, talking about Archaeology. That naturally led to a conversation about the Goa'uld. Sara was a veritable treasure trove of information, and Daniel was determined to get it all, while at the same time continuing to help her recover from her ordeal with Osirus.  
  
Sarah bounced back and forth between Jack and Teal'c, and Daniel and Sara. The bond that was between the members of SG-1 was incredible to behold. Cassie was like family to them, and Sara had a history that drew her into the group as well. Sarah felt as though she had nothing. There was no bond, except with Jack, and she questioned even that, now that she realized there was something between him and Sam.  
  
On the third day she confronted Jack.  
  
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX  
  
"Jack, can we talk?"  
  
"Sure." They got up and began walking down the path leading to the Stargate.  
  
"Jack, what's with you and Sam?"  
  
His eyebrows furrowed. "Ah, I don't know. I kinda figured that, you two being women and all, that you'd know as much about that as I do. More even, since I don't know much."  
  
"Sam told me about the Za'tarc incident."  
  
Jack head shot around at that. "She did?!" So much for 'keeping it in the room.'  
  
"Yeah. And she also told me about her boyfriend. I don't remember his name."  
  
His look became guarded. "Pete. And...?"  
  
"I'm just saying, I know a little about your history with each other. Do you still care about her after she went out with him? I think I have a right to know."  
  
Jack sighed. He couldn't play dumb, not with her. "Yeah, I guess so." She seemed to deflate in front of him, so he said hurriedly, "Sarah, listen too me. I'm really sorry I got you into this. You had to leave behind everything you ever knew. I know it must be hard."  
  
"Hard? No. I hadn't even known there *were* aliens on other planets until a week ago. Now I'm living with them. What's so hard about that?" Jack smirked. She was just as sarcastic as he was, sometimes.  
  
"Yeah, well listen. No matter what, I promise I won't leave you on your own. Okay?"  
  
"Okay." It wasn't quite what she wanted, but it was something. She looked up when she heard a sound. They had arrived at the Stargate, and the chevrons were moving.  
  
"Sarah?" Jack had drawn his pistol, as he had left his P-90 back at camp. "Hide in those bushes. If something bad happens, run back to camp as fast as you can and tell them. Go." He gently pushed her on her way. He took up a position by the DHD just as the wormhole engaged.  
  
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Bit of a filler chapter, this one. The pace is going to pick up soon, though, so keep reading! 


	5. Attack

Sorry it's been a long time since I updated this one. I HATE FINAL EXAMS!  
  
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Chapter 5- Attack  
  
Sarah hid in the bushes as Jack had told her, and watched as he pointed his gun at the Stargate.  
  
The event horizon rippled for a moment, and a man walked through. He was a human, but dressed oddly. She saw Jack lower his weapon and smile, walking over to shake the man's hand. He then turned and waved to her. She came out of hiding.  
  
"Sarah, meet Jacob Carter. Jacob, meet Sarah."  
  
Jacob nodded at her, and then stared for a few moments before speaking. "Nice to meet you."  
  
"Same here. Are you Sam's dad?"  
  
"Yup."  
  
"It's good to see you, Jake. Everyone else is back at the village."  
  
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX  
  
"Dad!"  
  
"Hey Sam." She ran over to meet him, but stopped short when she saw how he was walking. "You're limping. What happened?"  
  
"Anubis attacked the Alpha site. I got banged around a bit. Don't worry, though. Selmak's working on it." He pulled her in for a hug.  
  
"Uh, Jake? Anubis did what?"  
  
"He attacked the alpha site. More than a hundred dead."  
  
"Damn. Hammond must be thrilled."  
  
"That's not the worst part, Jack. The Tok'ra have pretty much washed their hands of Earth. Apparently they don't trust me, well Selmak, because of my connections with Earth."  
  
"How did you know to find us here, Dad?"  
  
"Bra'tac told me where you were."  
  
"It's good to see you Jacob. Lunch?"  
  
"Fine."  
  
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX  
  
Lunch was a simple affair around the low table. Everyone was quiet except Sam. She pressed her father for news of Earth and the SGC. Jacob answered them, but his mind was obviously elsewhere.  
  
After the meal, he went for a walk with Sam.  
  
"SOmething bothering you, Dad?"  
  
"Sam, what were you thinking, leaving with Jack like you did?"  
  
Sam was taken aback by her fathers harsh tone. "What do you mean, Dad?"  
  
"You had to have known he was being chased off the planet. Heck, everyone did. You didn't have to go with him."  
  
"Dad!" Sam was hurt. "I knew what I was doing. We're a team, all of us. We don't leave teammates to fend for themselves."  
  
"That's not the point Sam! You can't go back now. There's nothing for you out here. Your life's on Earth."  
  
That was too much for Sam. "Not anymore. Besides, I've got my team out here. *Jack* is out here!" She startled her father by using his name.  
  
"You think he's going to be there for you, the way you want? He's got Sarah with him now!"  
  
She knew this was true. "I know." Her lips wavered for a moment, but then her resolve came back. "Even if there can't be anything between us, I'm still going to stay with him. We all will. He's the best leader I've ever been with."  
  
Jacob sighed. "I don't like it Sam."  
  
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX  
  
Colonel O'Neill sat on a rock overlooking the ocean. Jacob found him there.  
  
"What's up, Jacob?"  
  
"I wanted to talk to you alone. You've gathered yourself a neat little group here. Outcasts from Earth, aliens, children and family. They all left their lives behind, to go with you." Jacobs voice was almost accusing.  
  
Jack let out a breath. "Yeah, I know. I was planning only on having Sarah with me, but the others didn't give me much choice."  
  
"You can't go back, you know. You've been officially labeled as a wanted man, at least on Earth, anyway."  
  
"What about the others?"  
  
"Sam is considered AWOL. They haven't said much about the others. In the eyes of the law, they're probably all okay, but..."  
  
"The NID."  
  
"Yeah." Jacob stopped and turned to face directly at the Colonel. "What are you going to do, Jack? If my daughter's going to follow you all across the galaxy, I want to know this: What are your intentions?"  
  
"We find a world as far away from Earth and the Goa'uld as possible. We hide out there, using it as a base of operations. Once we..."  
  
"Jack, I'm not talking about *that*. You're a great leader, and a fine strategist. You won't have a problem with any of that. I want to know what's going to happen to *Sam*."  
  
Jack's head came around at that. He took a moment before answering. "I don't know, Jacob. I don't know. Sam's important to me. I won't lie about that." He thought about it for a moment, before speaking what had been on his mind for the past few days. "What if we got married?"  
  
Jacob was completely thrown for a loop at that. "What?!"  
  
Jack looked down. "Look Jake, I've thought about it for a while now. Since we're not really on Earth anymore, there are no rules against us anymore. But I wanted to get your permission first."  
  
"God, Jack! I..." Jacob was at a loss for words. His eyes flashed, and Selmak took over. I apologize, Colonel O'Neill. Jacob Carter is having some difficulty voicing his concerns. He is worried about your relationship with your previous wife."  
  
"Selmak, I'm always going to care about Sarah. She was a big part of my life for a long time. We..." He was cut off by a droning they both heard overhead.  
  
It was a Death Glider. Without even stopping to think, both men took off for the village.  
  
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX  
  
"Daniel, do you hear that?" Sam felt her stomach knot as the sound registered.  
  
"Major Carter! A Death Glider approaches."  
  
"Everyone to the village!" They took off running. Daniel took Sara's hand and pulled her along.  
  
Teal'c took Sarah by the arm. "Please hurry, Sarah O'Neill."  
  
Sam looked around trying to locate the others. The Colonel and Jacob coming in from the ocean. Cassie was nowhere to bee seen. "Colonel! Have you seen Cassie?"  
  
"No, is she missing?"  
  
Daniel spoke up. "I think she's already back in the village, she went with Arom, that boy about her age who..."  
  
"Okay Danny. Carter, Teal'c, go find her. Meet back up at the palace. Go!"  
  
They took off running. Jack led the rest of the group straight to the palace, where Tuplo and his daughter were already hiding. "What is happening?"  
  
"It's the Goa'uld. They're attacking."  
  
Jack stuck hi head out the door to get a better look. He saw a single Death Glider heading straight for them. Sam and Teal'c were running with Cassie between them. "Hurry!"  
  
The Death Glider fired. A woman across the street screamed in pain. Cassie collapsed. Sam grabbed Cassie while Teal'c moved over to the screaming woman.  
  
"Carter, Teal'c, hurry up!" Jack took one step toward them, preparing to run the ten feet to help them. He called back to the others inside. "Stay here!"  
  
He looked back outside just in time to see Sam and Cassie vanish in a blinding flash of light. 


	6. The Tok'ra

Chapter 6- The Tok'ra  
  
Colonel O'Neill turned his face away from the blast, shielding his eyes with his arm.   
  
A body landed on him, and he instinctively wrapped his arms around it as they fell to the ground. He found himself lying on his back with a very uncouncious Samantha Carter on top.  
  
The Death Glider that was attacking them flew overhead. Gently but quickly, he untangled himself from her and assessed the situation.  
  
Teal'c had come out from hiding in the temple, and was kneeling over Cassie. "Colonel O'Neill! Cassandra Fraiser is in need of medical assistance!"  
  
Jack looked at Sam for a moment. She didn't seem to show any outward signs of injury, but that didn't mean they weren't there.  
  
Cassie was another story. The blast had landed just under her foot as she was running. It was definitely broken, in more than one place, and was bleeding everywhere.  
  
"Shit. Teal'c, take Carter here. Jake, Daniel, take Cassie. Everyone back inside!" The Death Glider was returning. "Okay, here's the plan. I'm gonna run for it, and try to get that things attention. You guys head for the Stargate. You should be safe once you reach the woods."  
  
"Someone should go with you, Jack."  
  
O'Neill shook his head. "Not happening, Danny. We've got two casualties already, plus the noncombatants," motioning to the two Sara(h)'s "so they're gonna need all the help they can get. Don't wait for me at the gate, I'll catch up with you later. Get Cassie and Sam to the Tok'ra. They can help them."  
  
"Where will we meet you, Jack?" Jacob didn't like the plan, but there wasn't any other choice.  
  
"P4X-347"  
  
"The planet with that light thingy?"  
  
"Yup"  
  
There was a droning sound as the glider returned. "Give me sixty seconds, then go." O'Neill disappeared out the door.  
  
Jacob Carter spoke after Jack left. "OK. Teal'c, take Cassie. Watch the leg. I'll carry Sam. Daniel, when we go, you run ahead and dial the gate. Ladies, go with him."  
  
They took of running. The Death Glider was a short distance away, shooting at the Colonel. It didn't see the escapees.  
  
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX  
  
Jack turned the corner behind a rock, just as a blast flew overhead. He was so high on adrenaline he didn't notice the protest from his knee. He risked a glance over his shoulder. The others were almost at the woods. He kept running.  
  
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX  
  
Daniel glanced around the planet Jacob had dialed them too. It wasn't unlike Abydos, without the pyramids. Several Tak'ra approached them, taking Cassie and Sam and rushing them to the rings that transported them all underground.  
  
"Selmak. We have been awaiting your return. Why have you brought the Tau'ri here. You were instructed not to reveal our new location."  
  
Sarah O'Neill jumped as she heard Selamk, Jacob Carter's symbiote, speak for the first time. "They were in need of medical assistance."  
  
"Very well. The council will see you once their wounds have been treated."  
  
Sam's injury was more extensive than Anyone had realized. She was bleeding internally, and had a major concussion. The Tok'ra were able to heal the injuries, but it would be a while before she awoke.  
  
Cassie had lost a lot of blood, and her condition was even more serious than Sam's. She too, was unconscious.  
  
Once Sam and Cassie were reasonably stable, Teal'c and Daniel approched Jacob. "Jacob Carter, we would like to go to P4X-347 to meet the Colonel."  
  
"Let's go talk to the council."  
  
The Tok'ra were not completely heartless, and so they readily allowed Daniel and Teal'c to go to retrieve the Colonel.  
  
Sarah was relieved when Teal'c and Daniel ariived back on the Tok'ra planet an hour later. She rushed up and gave him a hug, which he returned before turning to Jacob. "Where are they?"  
  
Jacob led Jack to the room that held Cassie and Sam. Jack promptly sat down there, clearly intent on waiting for them to wake while at the same time recovering from his ordeal.  
  
Sarah moved to sit with him, but found a hand on her shoulder. It was Daniels. "Uh, Sarah, Jacks really tired right now, and also really worried about those two, so I don't think he's gonna be to happy to have visitors. Just trust me on this one."  
  
Looking, she could se that he was right. Jack had his head back against Cassie's bed, facing Sam. His eyes closed. She recognized the expression. He was shutting himself off to the world, closing out the others and attempting to come back to reality after his ordeal.  
  
Daniel left. Sarah didn't follow, but didn't go to Jack, either. She just stayed in the hallway outside the door and watched. Sam stirred.  
  
Jacks eyes opened and he was at her side immediately. "Carter?"  
  
"Colonel?"  
  
"Hey, welcome back." Jack smiled.  
  
Sam was still groggy. "Where are we?"  
  
"With the Tokra. You gotta love those healing devices."  
  
"What happened?"  
  
"You got knocked out by a blast from that Death Glider. We brought you here." Jack deliberately left out the part where he had been a decoy. Sarah wondered how he had escaped, but he wasn't telling.  
  
"Okay. Wait, Cassie! Where's Cassie?!"  
  
"Easy, Carter. She's unconcious right now too, but she's gonna be fine. You need to rest."  
  
"I'm fine, sir, I think I can..." But she was already asleep.  
  
Jack sat there watching her, not moving from his position, holding her hand. Sarah watched as he wiped sweat off of her forehead. As she had been the last time Sam had been injured, Sarah was struck by the intimacy she saw between these two.  
  
Sarah quietly walked away, thinking.  
  
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX  
  
Sara Gardner walked the tunneled hallways of the Tok'ra base. She heard a slight sniffle from one of the rooms she walked by. Looking in to what appeared to be a storeroom, she saw Sarah O'Neill with her back against a table.  
  
"Sarah? What's wrong?"  
  
Sarah O'Neill wiped away a single tear and just stared at her.  
  
Sara Gardner sighed and sat down next to her. "This has been a lot to take in, hasn't it?"  
  
"Huh?"  
  
"I mean, you didn't even know until a couple of weeks ago that there were aliens, and now you're out here. Plus all the fighting that's been going on."  
  
"Oh. Well, yes, it has been a lot. How come you don't seem rattled by it?"  
  
Sara took a breath before answering. "Did Jack tell you about the Goa'uld?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
"Well, I was a Goa'uld host for about three years. I've still got many of the memories of Osiris." The pain on her face was obvious.  
  
"I'm sorry."  
  
There was a silence for a moment before Sara tried to open up the conversation. "So, what's eating you?"  
  
"You knew Jack and I were married once, right?"  
  
"Oh, yes. Daniel told me about Charlie. That must have been horrible."  
  
"It was. It took me a long time to get over it. But I've been doing better, and I was actually thinking about trying to get back together with Jack before al this happened. Now I'm afraid he's moved on."  
  
"Sam." Sara observed.  
  
"Yes."  
  
A Tok'ra entered the room just then, and informed them that all of the Tau'ri from Earth were being summoned to meet the High Council. 


	7. Betrayed Again

Sorry it took me so long to post this one. But school's out now, Yay! so I should be able to post a couple of these a week until I'm done.  
  
WARNING: this is a very graphic chapter. Blood, etc... Not for the squeamish.  
  
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Chapter 7- Betrayed again  
  
"You cannot remain here." Sara Gardner, Sarah O'Neill and SG-1, minus Sam, were standing before the Tok'ra High Council. Sam and Cassie were still recovering from their injuries. "Many System Lords are hunting for you, as well as forces form Earth. We will not be caught in the middle of your problems."  
  
"So much for allies." O'Neill muttered under his breath.   
  
Daniel spoke for the group. "Where will we go?"  
  
"That is up to you. We will send you wherever you wish through the Stargate. You will leave tomorrow. Your companions injuries will be sufficiently healed by then. Spend the time to decide where you will go."  
  
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX  
  
It took all of two minutes for Jack, Daniel, and Teal'c to decide on a destination. Nox.  
  
They would be safe there.  
  
Jacob searched out Jack to finish the conversation that they had started in the Land of Light before the Death Glider came.  
  
He cut right to the chase. "You want to marry my daughter?"  
  
"Jake, it's something I've thought about for a while now. I didn't know how she felt, but then this all happened and she gave up everything just to come with me. There's no regulations in our way now. I'd like to try to get to know her on a more personal level, see where it might lead. We'll see how far it goes."  
  
"What about Sarah?"  
  
Jack sighed. "I wish the NID hadn't dragged her into this. I'll always care about her on some level, but I've moved on. I can't live my life in the past. I just hope we can find a place where she can be safe and happy out here."  
  
"Okay, Jack. As long as it makes Sam happy, you have my blessing."  
  
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX  
  
It was time to leave. Cassie still limped a little, but Sam was perfectly normal. Jacob came to see them off. He spoke to them as another Tok'ra dialed the Gate.  
  
"By Sam. Good luck."  
  
"Bye Dad."  
  
"Jack, good luck. Take care of them."  
  
"Always, Jacob."  
  
They turned and walked up the steps to the Gate.  
  
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX  
  
What they found on the other side sent Jack reaching for his gun, but then he froze when he realized that he didn't have a chance.  
  
"Well, well, Colonel Makepeace." They were faced with about eight men with guns, all trained on them.-  
  
"Hello Colonel O'Neill."  
  
Sam couldn't help but ask, "How did you find us? And where are we?" Looking around, they were obviously not on Nox.  
  
"We have a few friends still on the Tok'ra. The reward we offered didn't hurt. Now, put the guns down."  
  
They were led to a Tok'ra scout ship, which lifted off and headed into space.  
  
"Why aren't we going back to Earth through the Stargate? And aren't you guys supposed to be in jail?" As they had walked to the ship, SG-1 had realized that these were the same people from the offworld operation run by the NID. The operation that Colonel O'Neill had shut down by going undercover after he got back from Edora.  
  
"It's funny how much blackmail will get you. As for where we're going, well, you are going to a nice little desert planet with no Stargate, and no civilization. Just you and the sand. You won't mess with us anymore, and we can't have you roaming the Galaxy getting in our way. Throw then in the engine room."   
  
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX  
  
They were handcuffed and locked away in the dark, with only the faint glow from the hyperdrive generator providing illumination.  
  
"What happened?" Daniel wanted to know.  
  
Sam answered. "That Tok'ra who dialed the gate must have been working with the NID to deliver us right to them. When he dialed, he sent us to a pre-planned location where Makepeace and company were waiting."  
  
No one spoke for a long while. Finally, Cassie could take it no longer. "What now, uncle Jack?"  
  
Jack had a twisted look on his face. "I think,...aargh!" His left hand came free of the cuffs. Sarah nearly wretched as she watched him re-locate his thumb. He got up. "I don't have the keys for your cuffs guys, sorry." He looked around as he got to his feet. "Guaranteed, that door's locked. We need a distraction. Carter, How do I disable the hyperdrive?"  
  
"Open that slide door there...Okay, now, pull the red crystal." He did so. The room immediately went pitch black.  
  
"Everybody, stay on the floor!" Jack hissed.  
  
Sarah couldn't see anything. Suddenly the door cracked open and there was a ray of light. A hand holding a gun came into a view, Then a fist flashed through the air. A gun went off. In the flash of light, she saw a slosh of blood and brain tissue flying through the air. Someone else joined the fray. There was a loud cracking and a screaming sound. Jack left the room, a gun in his hand. Gunshots could be heard coming from the rooms outside. Shouted orders. Another shot. Then, silence.  
  
Jack O'Neill, covered in blood, walked into the room. He hit a light switch, and the lights came on. There was a sharp intake of breath as they took in his appearance. He had keys in his hand. He unlocked Teal'c and gave him the keys.  
  
"I'll be in the control room."  
  
As Teal'c unlocked them, they walked out into the main room with the rings. Cassie made a strangled sound. Sarah went down on her hands and knees and vomited right into the blood that covered the floor. Sara Gardner, who had seen many atrocities in her time as Osiris, closed her eyes and swallowed. Even Daniel and Sam went white. Teal'c was the only one who didn't flinch.  
  
Makepeace and his gang were messily dead, with holes in their heads or necks. Blood and brain matter were everywhere on the walls. One man didn't have a bullet wound. Instead, his head was twisted around at a grotesque angle. His neck was obviously broken.  
  
"Carter, Teal'c, get up here." There was one more man on the floor in the control room. There was blood on the panels, which Jack was cleaning off. "I don't know where we are right now. Figure that out, fix the hyperdrive and get us to Nox. Cloak the ship."  
  
The blood on Jacks uniform wasn't his, but rather, that of the men he had killed.  
  
The dead bodies were dragged into the engine room, leaving streaks of blood on the floor. Daniel and Jack wiped it as best they could with towels and coats, but it was still slippery. Cassie was crying. Sarah, sensing where she could be the most help, moved to comfort her. Sara Gardner went up to the front with Sam and Teal'c.  
  
Daniel was looking a little green.  
  
"You okay, Danny boy?"  
  
"Yeah, Jack, I just... Bluurrgh!" He vomited on the newly cleaned floor, which just added to the almost overwhelming stench. "Oh no. I'm sorry Jack, I..."  
  
"Hey, calm down. Go sit with Cassie and Sarah. I'll take care of this."  
  
The three hour flight to Nox on the Scout Ship was silent as a tomb. Which, in some ways, it was. 


	8. The Nox

Chapter 8- The Nox  
  
The three hour flight to Nox on the Scout Ship was silent as a tomb. Which, in some ways, it was.   
  
With the ship still cloaked, they landed to the side of the planets stargate. As soon as they touched down, the doors were opened and everyone rushed outside, away from the smell of blood and vomit inside the ship, and into the clean air of the Nox world.  
  
Those who knew the Nox were not suprised to find Lya already in the clearing, waiting for them.  
  
Daniel spoke first. "Hello Lya."  
  
She smiled and nodded pleasantly at them, but her eyes were focused on Colonel O'Neill. Bloodstains don't wash out, and he was covered from head to toe from the shootout earlier on the scout ship. Lya's plae complexion grew even whiter.  
  
Jack saw her reaction. "Guess I should change, huh?"  
  
Daniel spoke again. "Lya, this is Sara Gardner, Cassandra Fraiser, and Sarah O'Neill."  
  
Lya smiled at them. "I am pleased to meet you. Please, all of you, come with me." Jack did a quick change in the scout ship, replacing his bloody clothes with clean ones from the supplies Makepeace and his men had brought. They were all led to the woodland dwelling of Lya and her family. The young Nafrayu, the wise Opher, and Anteus were all waiting for them.  
  
Nafrayu jumped up and down when he saw them coming. "Hello again! It is good to see you!"  
  
Jack smiled. He loved kids. So did Sarah, and she was soon being led around the homestead by the young boy, being shown everything from herbs to his sleeproom to the fruits they were preparing for afternoon meal.  
  
Daniel was doing his diplomatic job. "Lya, Anteaus, Opher, it is good to see you. We have come because..."  
  
"You have been sent away from your homeworld. We know. You wish to find sanctuary here." Opher was very wise.  
  
"Uh, yes. With your permission of course."  
  
Anteus smiled and spoke for the first time. "Fear not. You may stay, on one condition. You must leave your warring ways behind."  
  
Before Jack could say anything, Teal'c spoke up. "I do not feel the need to bring war here, O'Neill."  
  
Jack was thinking. "Me neither, Teal'c." But there was more to it than that, wasn't there? Giving up weapons and battle would mean giving up on exploring the universe. There was no way he was going to step through the gate without a gun. "Will you give us time to think about it?"  
  
"Of course. In the meantime, we were about to eat. Please, join us."  
  
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX  
  
Dinner was simple, but interesting. Sarah and Cassie were thrilled to meet another alien race.  
  
Sara Gardener looked extremely content. This pleased Daniel. She was still recovering from her ordeal with Osiris, probably would be recovering for years. The peace and tranquility of the Nox world would be good for her. As far as Daniel was concerned, he too could stay on this planet happily forever. Cassie and Nafrayu left the dinner table to go see something. The two of them were getting along quite well.  
  
This time, Sam had managed to sit next to the Colonel. She sat on his right, Sarah on his left. Lya sat across from them and observed them. After the meal was over, she took action.  
  
"Colonel, please, come with me. I wish to show you something." She glanced over at Opher and Anteus. They communicated silently for a few moments. Anteus's eyes lit up for a moment, and he seemed to ask You sure?. Opher just nodded.  
  
Lya took his hand and led him down a well worn path. Jack opened his mouth to ask a question, but Lya raised her hand. "Hush now, Colonel. All will be explained. First, savor the peace of these woods." She led him further along the path. He took the time to look around.  
  
These trees must be thousands of years old! O'Neill had seen many old growth forests on Earth, but nothing compared to this. They walked a very long distance. Lya still hadn't spoken after an hour, and O'Neill wondered where they were going. He noticed that the trail they had been on had dissapeared.  
  
They came to a clearing. Lya stopped. Closing her eyes and drawing a deep breath, she waved her hand. In front of him, Jack watched the largest tower he had ever seen appear. The tower led up, up, up to the floating city that SG-1 had been shown on their first visit to this world.  
  
"Uh, wow." Jack was at a loss for words.  
  
Lya smiled. "Come." She led him up the stairs in the tower. After a long climb, they reached the city streets above. Even here, it felt like you were in a forest. There were many Nox visible. Most glanced at Jack as they walked by. Lya led him down a side path. The path ended abruptly at a boulder. She waved him up. He climbed it, then bent down to help her up.  
  
Once she was standing next to him, he turned around.  
  
And gasped.  
  
He had never seen anything like it before.  
  
They had come to the cities edge. Stretched out before them, more than a mile below, was the forest. You could see everything. From this high up, Jack could even make out a slight curvature on the horizon.  
  
"Cool. I can see my house from here." Jack grinned.  
  
"Beautiful, isn't it?"  
  
"Yeah sure you betcha." He looked for another minute, then turned to Lya. "Lya, this is incredible, but I've got to ask you, why did you bring me here?"  
  
"I wish to help you, Colonel. Please, sit." He did, and she knelt next to him. "You are close to Major Carter?"  
  
"Uh, yes."  
  
"And also to your previous wife, Sarah."  
  
"Yes." Jack could see where this was going, but not why.  
  
"And you need to decide between them. They both care greatly for you."  
  
"Yeah."   
  
"What do you intend to do?"  
  
Jack thought about it. "I care about both of them Lya. But like I told Carters dad, I can't live in the past. I have to move on. I just hope I can do that without hurting anyone."  
  
Lya nodded. "You must do what your heart desires. You will never be at peace unless you do."  
  
"I know."  
  
"Good. You are a very honorable man, Colonel, but sometimes you care too much. You cannot live to please everyone. You must do what you feel is right."  
  
Jack smiled at the irony: A Nox telling him that he cared too much.  
  
Lya tilted her head, as if she had heard something.  
  
"What?"  
  
"Come with me." Lya slid down the boulder and hurried down the path. Jack followed, wondering what was going on.  
  
She led him to a metallic round slab in the middle of the floating city/forest. Lya stood before it and waved her hand. There was a flash of light.  
  
Jack's eyes went wide. "Thor!?"  
  
"Greetings O'Neill, Lya."  
  
Lya smiled and nodded. "It is good to see you, Thor. What is the purpose of your visit?"  
  
"I have come with a message for Colonel O'Neill." The little gray man turned to the human. "O'Neill, the Goa'uld Anubis is preparing to attack Earth. He will attack in three days." 


	9. Decisions and Changes

This chapter's a little short, but I think you'll like it.  
For those of you who've followed this from the beginning, thanks for reading and for putting up with my crazy posting schedule. This isn't the last chapter, but I'm getting close. Enjoy.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Chapter 9- Decisions and Changes  
  
_"I have come with a message for Colonel O'Neill." The little gray man turned to the human. "O'Neill, the Goa'uld Anubis is preparing to attack Earth. He will attack in three days."  
_  
Jack immediately sprung into action. "Lya, do you guys have transporter thingies, or do we walk all the way back?"  
  
"We do not have instant transporters."  
  
Jack nodded. "Thor, can you help us?"  
  
"Unfortunately, I cannot. Anubis was never part of the Protected Planets Treaty, and so the Asgard..." But Thor was talking to air. Jack had already moved for the stairs leading downward.  
  
He keyed his radio. "Carter, come in."  
  
"What's up, sir?"  
  
"I just got done talking to Thor. Anubis is going to attack Earth. I'm on my way back."  
  
There was a shocked pause before Sam responded. "Yes, sir. What other intel do we have?"  
  
"He's gonna attack in about three days, that's all I know. Start thinking about options." He ordered.   
  
Jack and Lya made their way down the path back to Lya's home. Jack hurried at first, so much that Lya could barely keep up.  
  
"Colonel, understand this, you are choosing a violent path again. If you do this, you will not be allowed to live here with us."  
  
Jack stopped dead in his tracks and looked at her. He opened his mouth, but then shut it again and kept moving. I'm not going to get into this argument right now. They continued on silently for a long while.  
  
As they walked, Jack was thinking. He was looking around, looking at these beautiful woods. This beautiful planet, with beautiful people. Wise people. Intelligent people.  
  
When he arrived back at Lya's home, he had a plan, but he decided to let his team speak first. Maybe they'd come up with a better one.  
  
"Sir I've been thinking."  
  
"You thinking? Wow, Carter."  
  
She smiled, and would have laughed if the situation wasn't so serious. "Anyway, it's possible that the Prometheus can handle the attack. It could probably take two or even three. However, I'd be willing to bet Anubis is sending more than that. The Prometheus won't stand a chance."  
  
"How does this help us, Carter?"  
  
Sam shrugged. "It doesn't really. I'm just making a threat analysis."  
  
"The threat is, Earth is about to be wiped out by the most evil snake ever. What do we do about it?"  
  
There was silence.  
  
Lya spoke again, reminding them that violence would cause them to be sent away from Nox.  
  
Still nobody had a plan. So Jack tried his. "Lya, what if we just made Anubis go away, without fighting him? Could we do that and still come back?"  
  
Lya tilted her head, and nodded. "Yes, but how would you accomplish this?  
  
"You guys can make things invisible, right?"  
  
Daniel's eyes widened. "You want them to hide the PLANET!?"  
  
Jack's eyes remained fixed on Lya. "Could you do it?"  
  
Lya seemed to be thinking. Before she could speak, however, Opher answered. "I could. With practice, a Nox is able to perform his mastery of the mind more and more. Lya and Anteus are much younger than I, and they probably could not. "  
  
Jack nodded. "Would you do that for us?"  
  
Opher nodded. "Anteus and I will accompany you."  
  
"Thank you. We'll take the scout ship to Earth, and you can do your magic there. Oh, and we'll do one other thing..." Jack laid out the rest of his plan.  
  
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX  
  
They left the next day. SG-1 buried the bodies of Makepeace and his men nearby, but the Scout Ship still smelled like death and vomit.  
  
It was agreed that SG-1 would go with Anteus and Opher. Sarah O'Neill, Sara Gardner and Cassie would stay behind on Nox with Lya. They would be safe there.  
  
Once in orbit, they cloaked the ship and went into hyperspace.  
  
Teal'c was piloting the ship. "We will arrive in approximately twenty four hours."  
  
"Sweet."  
  
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX  
  
"Carter?" Sam was looking at the hyperdrive crystals when her CO came in.  
  
"Hey sir."  
  
"What ya doin'?"  
  
She shrugged. "Nothing. I'm a little bored."  
  
He smiled. "That's 'cause you think too much, and now you've got nothing to think about. I'll bet if we weren't using them, you'd want to pull out the hyperdrive crystals just for fun."  
  
She giggled. "Y' know, you're right."  
  
"It happens."  
  
She giggled again. This man was so funny and sweet and... but he had Sara back, now. "So, you and Sara must be happy."  
  
"Huh?"  
  
"Well, I mean, you've both moved on from Charlies death, maybe now you two can get back together." She swallowed.  
  
Jack knew her well enough to know that while she was trying to be nice about it, she didn't really like the idea. He thought back to what she had said back at the beginning of this crazy chase through the galaxy. 'I don't want Pete!' she had said. It seemed like ages ago. He made his decision. "You know, I talked to your dad."  
  
That threw her. "Sir?"  
  
"Yeah, I figured if I was going to start dating you, I should get his permission first."  
  
She was taken completely by surprise. She found that she couldn't speak, and just sort of stared at him.  
  
"That is, if you want."  
  
"My God, Sir!" Her eyes were wide. Then they went dark.  
  
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX  
  
"Sam. Sam!" She opened her eyes to find herself lying in the Colonels arms. He was kneeling over her.  
  
"Sir? What.."  
  
"You fainted, Carter. Jeeesh, you can fight legions of Jaffa, but one old Colonel asks you out and you go weak. Tut tut."  
  
She giggled. And hugged him. Her genius mind caught up quickly, and she decided to be playful. "So where are we going for our first official date?"  
  
Teal'c chose that moment to call back. "O'Neill, we have arrived."  
  
Jack smiled at her as he helped her to her feet. "We're going to save the world." 


End file.
